Dining News In Santa Monica & The Westside

Posted Nov. 14, 2013, 8:09 am

Brenton Garen / Editor-in-Chief

The Charleston Launches Big Band Thursdays

The Charleston, Santa Monica’s premier 1920’s style gastropub, is serving up some old-time jazz tunes every Thursday night with Big Band Thursdays, the second introduction to their all new fall lineup.

Big Band Thursdays will feature the musical stylings of Lounge-O-Rama, a full band that was recently named the “Best Party Band in L.A.”

Lounge-O-Rama will be playing selections from their library of 100-years-of-popular music, emphasizing early jazz standards from Isham Jones, Hoagy Carmichael, Gershwin, and Cole Porter, to name a few.

The old-time jazz set is an homage to The Charleston’s 20’s speakeasy theme. As the party gets going, Lounge-O-Rama will crank up the beat and move the music time machine forward like a DeLorean.

The party starts every Thursday night at 9:30 pm.

The Charleston is located at 2460 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica.

Dinner reservations are recommended via Opentable at www.charlestonla.com or by calling 310.828.2115.

For LA trivia buffs, did you know BLVD 16 restaurant, located on Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood, is named after that very boulevard stretching 16 miles from downtown to Santa Monica?

Located adjacent to Kimpton’s The Hotel Palomar Los Angeles-Westwood, the restaurant celebrates its fifth anniversary with a series of new menus, including dinner, cocktail, and meals-to-go. And, in keeping with Kimpton’s wellness mantra, BLVD 16 now serves a selection of Pressed Juicery juices.

BLVD 16 at The Hotel Palomar, led by Chef Richard Hodge, functions as an all day dining restaurant for hotel and non-hotel guests alike.

The restaurant’s sleek design belies the approachable menu – not meant to break the bank – featuring items from $8 for shareable plates to $32 for large plates and a three-course prix fixe lunch for $15.

The Hotel Palomar is located at 10740 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles.